Proctor and Tecumseh
returned to Malden, where the Canadian militia were disbanded, and the
Indians, who had not already left the army, for their respective
villages, were stationed at different cantonments. The Chippewas
preferred going home; the Potawatamies were placed six miles up the
river Rouge; the Miamis and Wyandots at Brownstown and up the Detroit
river, as far as Maguaga. They were successively employed by the
British commander as scouts, a party being sent regularly, once a week,
to reconnoiter fort Meigs, and other points in that vicinity. They
planted no corn and hunted but little, being regularly supplied with
provisions from Detroit and Malden.

Early in July, the allies of the British again made their appearance in
the vicinity of fort Meigs. Dickson, an influential Scotch trader among
the Indians, having returned from the north-west with a large body of
savages, general Proctor was urged to renew the attack on the fort, and
it was accordingly done.

Late on the evening of the 20th of July, the garrison discovered the
boats of the British army ascending the river. On the following morning
general Clay, now in command of this post, despatched a picket guard of
ten men to a point three hundred yards below the fort, where it was
surprised by the Indians, and seven of the party either killed or
captured. The combined army of British and Indians, were soon
afterwards encamped on the north side of the river, below the old
British fort Miami. For a short time, the Indians took a position in
the woods, in the rear of the fort, from which they occasionally fired
upon the garrison, but without doing any injury. In the night, captain
William Oliver, accompanied by captain M'Cune, was sent express to
general Harrison, then at Lower Sandusky, with information that fort
Meigs was again invested; and, that the united force of the enemy did
not fall far short of five thousand men. The general directed captain
M'Cune to return to the fort, with information to the commander, that
so soon as the necessary troops could be assembled, he would march to
his relief. The general doubted, however, whether any serious attack
was meditated against the place. He believed, and the result showed the
accuracy of his judgment, that the enemy was making a feint at the
Rapids, to call his attention in that direction, while Lower Sandusky
or Cleveland, would be the real point of assault. On the 23d Tecumseh,
with about eight hundred In